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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28799721">The Life of Phantom Miria</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilentChloey/pseuds/TheSilentChloey'>TheSilentChloey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Claymore Alternate Universes [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Claymore (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:00:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,551</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28799721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilentChloey/pseuds/TheSilentChloey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Follows Miria from her time as a warrior of the Organisation to its fall.</p><p>Cross Posted to FF.Net</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Claymore Alternate Universes [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1164590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: Words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div>
  <p>Words…why is it that words are the most important part of our lives…how is it that we are reduced to words to remember our fallen comrades? I don't know why but as I wake, I know that many are dead, yet I still have the hope that they will open their eyes; that they will need rest, we all would after such a beating, my waiting was in vain…</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Nnn," I am shaking with grief, "Seven…even though there were so many…this was my best? Was this truly the best that I could do?…nnn."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Hot tears spill down my cheeks at my own failure. I have failed them, and guilt courses through me. <em>It should have been me that died not them!</em> I scream silently, the tears running down my cheeks as the grief threatens to truly overwhelm me. There isn't anything that I can do. Not a single thing to help me work through the worst moment in my life. The pain overwhelmed me and I couldn't seem to free myself from it. Tears blinded me as the guilt and pain chocked me. If all I had were words then so be it, I would have those words in my heart, forever until I died.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>I sobbed my heart out and was rather surprised by the fact that Helen and Clare both lifted me up to my feet,</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Look Miria," said Deneve, "These are the lives that you have saved."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Cynthia, Tabitha, Yuma, Helen and Clare all looked towards me and Deneve continued, "It was good fortune that you were our leader, I believe that from the bottom of my heart."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>I sobbed again, if only she knew the burden that I alone had to carry, the grief that was tearing my heart out as I knew that only seven of us had survived, if only I could turn back the hands of time and save them, if only, if only…but the words I think are useless, meaningless and all too late to change anything now. I half wonder what would of happened if I had been better, if I had done better, if…if…I will never know and now I am forced to face myself.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Words are all I will ever have…</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 1: Trainee Miria</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I tried not to look at what the man was doing to me, it hurt terribly and I kept my eyes clamped shut. The knife bit in to my flesh as he cut me open, my body restrained so that I couldn't move. I must have passed out from the pain…</p><p>When I woke my body was on fire, pain lashed at my senses and I could barely move at all. I wasn't the only one in the cell; there was another girl in the corner that was breathing hard, as if she'd just gone through a lot of pain. The clothing that I wore wasn't my own. It clung to my body, showing my lack of curves. I was so sore that I couldn't even get up from the floor; my head pounding like there was no tomorrow. I didn't want to feel all of this pain, it hurt so much and yet I felt as if I was being burned and burned alive. There were five other girls in the cell that I woke in. One of them had short orange hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was clutching at her stomach, like she was in a lot of pain. I tried to get up and I realised that I shouldn't have. The moment I got up I screamed in pain and fell back on to the floor again. I wanted my Mama and Papa, but they sold me to the Organization because they didn't want me. I felt the tears spring in to my eyes when I realised that they didn't love me, they never had. All my Papa had wanted was a boy. Mama had been so ashamed when I was born that she hid me from my Papa, ashamed that she'd given him a girl. I was treated no better than the Claymore who came to our town to kill the yoma. My parents had jumped at the chance of getting rid of me the moment a man in black had come for the payment for the dead yoma.</p><p>"<em>She's strong," Papa told the man, "she'd make a good Claymore."</em></p><p>
  <em>The man in black bartered with Papa until he was happy with the price. I cowered when the man came for me. I didn't have a choice…</em>
</p><p>Tears slid down my cheeks as the pain grew worse,</p><p>"Hey, my name's Hilda, what's your's?" the girl with the orange hair seemed to be fine now, as if the pain had left her for a short while,</p><p>"Miria," I whispered, the pain lashing me, burning me with no real end in sight.</p><p>"You'll be ok Miria," said Hilda kindly, "it will end soon."</p><p>She held me. I froze; no one had ever held me before. Not even my Mama held me. Yet here was this girl who didn't know me from Eve and she held me. I hesitantly hugged her, my face in her shoulders. I drifted off in to an uneasy sleep.</p><p>
  <em>I dreamed that I was walking along a corridor, a strange dress flowed to the ground, it was a light purple, with a slight train,</em>
</p><p>"<em>Are you ready Miria?" a voice asked me, "Today our comrade is getting married."</em></p><p>"<em>Really?" I say, "I'm honoured that she even invited me at all."</em></p><p>"<em>Really Miria, do you think that she wouldn't?" the voice asked me again, "You are the one that saved her life; it's the least she could do."</em></p><p>I woke to find that my eyes were no longer their pale blue, Hilda told me as much.</p><p>"Wow your eyes are already silver!" she exclaimed as she helped me to my feet. I almost fell over as my feet hurt. Hilda caught me and I looked at her. Her hair was a pale blond already, but we had been in the cell for five days that I knew of. I don't know how long she was there before I was thrown in. I was told that I was almost the record. I heard that there had been a trainee that had her eyes change after the first night, and her hair was drained in less than two days. I felt sorry for her. But I guess she would have known how I was feeling now. I winced as the pain echoed through my body, Hilda seeing that I was in pain gave me a tight hug. I held on to her like she was a lifeline that had been haphazardly thrown my way. I felt her hold tighten and I buried my face in to her shoulders, my barely there breasts pressing against her chest. Her arms were around my waist and I could feel the pain rush through me again. I screamed loudly as it ripped the depths of my mind. I cried as my body felt like it was being cleaved in two. My grip tightened on Hilda and she held me as tightly as she could in return.</p><p>A week passed and my once strawberry blond hair was now pale blond. I was hauled out of the cell with Hilda and we were dragged down many corridors before we came in to a large open room filled with about forty or so girls, almost all with blond hair and silver eyes. Each of us regarded the other with a critical eye, who was stronger, who was the better half yoma. There were a couple of girls who still had colour in their hair and I heard the men say that they would be failures. I suddenly realised what they were saying. I shuddered and all too soon a man came out with a bunch of wooden mock swords. He gave each of us one and demanded that we stand in lines. Once he was happy, (although I doubted that he was happy at all, I just took it as once he'd stopped yelling at us) he told us that he was to teach us swordsmanship, (swearing most of the time, though I soon learned to ignore that and focused on the words between the swearing to get as much) and we had better pay attention. One of the girls let loose a snide comment and he flew at her, hitting her unmercifully with the wooden blade,</p><p>"Stop it!" I cried, and then he rounded on me.</p><p>"You will do as you're told you little bitch!" He snarled, the blade swung at me and I gripped the wooden blade and used it to block his attack. A loud crack told me that he didn't make his mark and that I had successfully blocked the blade. He swung again aiming for my legs, but I countered that as well. It wasn't long before I was stuck in a dance. I tried going on to the offensive, bring a smooth arc to his left shoulder, only to have my right hip hit. There was a dull thwacking sound as it hit me, and the sword was off kilter, I would fall if I didn't rebalance myself. I jumped hard from my left foot and I got his left shoulder. He grunted and glared at me. I waited for him to attack again.</p><p>"Well, well, it looks like you can handle a sword bitch, but I wouldn't get too cocky if I were you." he growled,</p><p>I took it as a half dismissal, but remained focused in case he swung at me again. It wasn't until he went up the front and gave us our drills that I was able to relax a bit. He made us do the drills for hours and hours. He showed us no mercy. He swore a lot and said that he would be surprised if we made it past this point in our training. We were told that we would progress on to proper blades next week and would have sparring matches. I was ready to drop I was so exhausted. We were taken in to rooms and told to clean up. No one felt hungry despite the fact that we'd been working hard today. I lay in the straw pile that was in one corner of my room, I think I slept, but I couldn't be too sure. The straw irritated me and I could hear the clanking of amour, so if I did sleep it wasn't for long.</p><p>After almost six months of drills I was beginning to have them memorised. It wasn't too bad, once I got used to it. The girls in my class would often complain that our teacher was too harsh, but I ignored the gossipers. There were a couple of girls that had been called out of training, and I noticed that they had blood on their uniforms after they came back. They didn't say what it was, nor did they say why they were called out, all they did was quietly pick up their drills, with slight tears in their eyes.</p><p>We had just finished the drills when the two girls were called away again. There was no mistaking the look in their faces; it was one of horror and fear. They left quietly and I felt the first real thrills of fear as I thought on what might be happening. The blood had been between their legs and they had breasts that were large enough to be noticed by men. I felt truly sick at what might be happening to them. I didn't want to even think about it yet I was sure that they were afraid because of the blood they had on their uniforms. Whatever the men had done to them to cause them to have blood on their uniforms must have hurt. I couldn't help but wonder what it was that caused such bleeding, but I couldn't draw a clear conclusion. I hated it when I didn't understand what was going on. I grimaced with annoyance and struggled to come to terms with what was going on, sitting on my pile of straw that was also my bed. I heard that at least the warriors got almost proper beds, though they were not much better than our straw versions. Most of them slept with their backs on their swords, especially since there wasn't much use for a bed.</p><p>A couple of weeks later and we were told that we would be travelling with warriors for survival skills. We had been in training for almost a year now and had progressed to the practice claymores. Survival skills were as simple as it sounded and as my eleventh birthday approached, I was sent to travel with a warrior. I wasn't even told her name, so when I met her I felt awkward. I was told that she was the Number 6, and not given a detail more. I quietly took to looking at my feet when I was taken to meet her. Thankfully Hilda was with me, so I wasn't on my own. She was a tall lithe warrior whose hair was pale and long. She wore a side fringe to the left and she was very vain. She had to be sure that the humans saw her from the best angle, and if they acted up, it was their own fault that they failed to notice just how pretty she was. However there was more to her than met the eye. She was smart and she knew that the men needed her for whatever purpose that no one else was supposed to know except herself. I found the two weeks with her were a drag and I was impatient to return to my drills that I practiced each night. Hilda joined me and we would often spar. The warrior was too busy getting her beauty sleep to really care about what we got up to and when it came down to it, she was downright boring. I wasn't sorry when the two weeks were finished.</p><p>Another year passed and our training was considered to be complete. The men had called out ten names of girls that were going to go with a handler to some ruins to the north, we were to gather outside the ruins and await further instructions. As soon as I heard my name I walked up to the group of girls that were to follow the handler in question. He wore a bandana over his left eye, and it looked like his veins were sticking out under it a bit. He guided us to the ruins and he held out his staff, he spoke to us, his voice unassuming, oddly bored for one that was meant to inform</p><p>""This staff marks the division of the two teams," he said, the staff coming right in the middle of us, putting five girls on one side and five on the other, "Your weapons will be true claymores, and you will be expected to fight as a group using the surrounding ruins. It will be the same as a real battle, with the winning team being promoted to warrior status."</p><p>We all stood and looked at the teams, I looked at the opposing team and I wondered what the man had meant by a "real" battle. I could only begin to imagine what that was going to mean. <em>A real battle, with proper claymores…</em> I wondered if that meant that we were expected to kill each other and I hoped that this wasn't the case. It wouldn't be right that we would have to kill each other because that would be wrong and it wasn't the right thing to do. Hilda and I walked together as the teams were split up, my team sent to one side of the ruins and the others were on the other side. I sighed and paused as I felt something strange. It felt like a light, just to the left of where we were standing and I didn't know what the hell it was. It wasn't anything that I had ever felt before and I was pretty sure that I knew what a half yoma felt like since I was one myself. I slowly tried to work out where the other team was and I stopped as I came to a realisation. I couldn't feel the other team at all, and what I could feel was that the light was coming our way and it wasn't about to stop any time soon. I tensed,</p><p>"Something's coming this way!" I yelled, the others tensing with me as we looked towards where this strange presence was. I tensed and waited to see what was coming. It stopped and then I wasn't sure what was going on, or why it had stopped. I sharpened my ears and I could hear faint guttural breaths coming from behind a ruined building. I jumped from the ground hard, getting behind the building and as I turned I was behind a yoma. It didn't even notice that I was even behind it, even as I swung the claymore with all my might, both hands grabbing it with all the physical strength that I possessed. The yoma turned as my blade drew closer to its head, and as my blade sliced through it, I could feel the other girls come running towards me. The yoma's corpse fell, its purple blood spraying everywhere. The others looked worried,</p><p>"Maybe we should find the other team." suggested one girl, her long wavy hair framed her face so that she looked gentle and soft.</p><p>"I don't think that they are alive," I tell them, "I can't sense them at all."</p><p>They look at me like they don't know what I'm saying, but then reality sinks in and the truth of my words begin to resonate with them. As far as I was concerned, we were broken in with fire.</p><p>We walked out of the ruins, no one was hurt, but we were shaken, or rather I was the one who had yoma blood over her, and the others were shaking like leaves in the wind. The man looked at us and led us back to Sutafu, where we would be given our emblems. I stood nervously as we were told we would also receive our ranks as well. I stood in front of the line of girls and I was given amour. As I looked at the clothing that they gave me, I began to wonder why it was slightly different from what I wore as a trainee. I realised that the neck piece had the emblem that was to be identified by. I looked at it and I began to wonder just what challenges I will face. I paused as a realisation dawned on me. I had to live; I would live as long as possible. I would live, and I would face the inevitable like each day was the last day I would ever fight.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 2: Number 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I received the map without really looking at it very well. I decided that once I left Sutafu I would study it with more care. I didn't care about what was on it. I sighed as I headed to the first point of contact, the first place that I would learn what was going to happen now that I was a warrior. I sighed and wondered what Hilda was doing now. We had come much closer since we'd been in training and I hadn't seen her since she received her emblem and was given a region to service. I missed her like crazy and I was beginning to wonder how long it would be until I saw her again. As I walked I began to wonder what I would say if I saw her again. There was so much that I wanted to tell her that I wished there was a way that she could hear my very thoughts. I almost lost my way there since I hadn't really been out much except for survival training. I was annoyed by the lack of knowledge that was passed on to me, although once I made the first contact, I was cleared to enter my first job. It was estimated to take me a week to get there and I needed no more than the sword on my back to complete the job. My training was to be used as I saw fit, and I decided that I would focus on what I was doing as that was what the smart warriors did. I looked for the yoma's yoki and strained to do the right things, my heart worked as hard as I did, pushing beyond my own thoughts and I pushed myself forward. The humans all muttered as I walked in to the town, all gasped as a "claymore" walked down the street. I was nervous but determined to keep myself as safe as I could. I would finish the job and I would finish it swiftly. I depend on what small ability I had to sense out the yoma, I couldn't sense very far, but it was far enough. An old man was talking to a young woman beside him and I could both smell and feel his yoki. I struck cleanly, but I only got the yoma's arm.</p><p>"I'll get you for that witch" the yoma snapped revealing his true form, a bulky humanoid shape with gold cat like eyes and sharp pointed teeth,</p><p>"Really, because I don't think so," I replied as I ran forward. I got him this time, slashing him clean in half, so that his upper body went flying in to the air and purple yoma blood sprayed everywhere. I must have moved faster than I first thought, and as I pulled to a stop, the humans were all looking at me with shock on their faces.</p><p>"My work is done, a man in black will collect the money, give it to him." I say and I leave.</p><p>"Good, your next task is to hunt a yoma…"</p><p>After several months of the same boring work, I was beginning to wonder what my life was going to look like when I had been a warrior for a long time. Would it be the same old boring routine, the same words, "My work is done a man in black will collect the fee give it to him"? Would I be forced to follow the same paths to the same towns, have the same remarks of fear and hatred? Would I live the rest of my life like this?</p><p>It was almost six months since I was given my rank within the Organization. I had already killed 15 yoma in that time. I was bored and there was no way around it. I was resting with my back against my claymore, so bored was I that I decided to wait for Ermita, rather than run ahead.</p><p>"Ah, there you are Miria," Ermita emerged from the tree line, unfazed about seeing me sitting on the ground, "you have a new task, it is two days from here and you will be working in a group battle. You will be hunting a veracious eater."</p><p>I looked at Ermita,</p><p>"A veracious eater?" I questioned, just to be sure that I heard right,</p><p>"The covert term for an awakened being," he replied casually, "they are very strong and need groups of warriors to deal with them; you'll be working with three others,"</p><p>I got up, and after my usual behaviour I headed out of the trees, the road wasn't too far away from where I'd camped. I had heard rumours about "veracious eaters" they sent fear through humans like there was no tomorrow. None of the towns that I had travelled through had said anything about "veracious eaters" or "awakened beings". I ran forward. I was bored and I didn't want to take more time than needed.</p><p>After two days of straight running I made it to the town. A large yoki was resting in the town; it was a warrior who was simply resting. I knew that yoki at once and I knew who it was and my pace sped up.</p><p>I ran down the alley way, my amour clanking. I stopped at the door and opened it. Sure enough sitting down, half asleep was Hilda.</p><p>"HILDA!" I cried,</p><p>She jumped at then I was encircled in her arms, "I missed you Miria,"</p><p>"I missed you too Hilda." I say with a smile, I try to get out of Hilda's arms,</p><p>"I'm glad," she smiles, and then she lets me go, "I was beginning to wonder what was going on."</p><p>"Ha-ha, you're so funny I died laughing." I tease,</p><p>"Miria!" Hilda squeals,</p><p>Soon we're laughing and Hilda grabs my arm, "Ok, miss follow the rules, let's head."</p><p>"Aren't there others?" I ask,</p><p>Hilda sighs, "Well you're just going to be a royal kill joy aren't you?"</p><p>"I don't get it Hilda." I say,</p><p>"Come on, nothing a drink can't fix." Hilda grins and I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.</p><p>Hours later and after two mugs of beer I feel odd. I let whatever it was in to my system, but I am beginning to regret that choice. I'd already refused a third drink and Hilda had at least four. I fight the strange toxin that was in my body, I don't like it. Hilda is giggling like a little girl and a few men are looking at her.</p><p>"Oh, wow," Hilda giggles again, "I think we can call it a night, right Miria."</p><p>I am not sure how to respond to her, so I grab her arm. She laughs hard and more men are looking curiously,</p><p>"Wow, I didn't think that claymores could get drunk," a male voice sounds close and as I manage to get Hilda out of the inn I hear someone else say, "That short hair's a regular here, she makes for good times, even if her body doesn't look as good as you're thinking," more laughter follows and I feel oddly sickened. Just why did Hilda do this to herself?</p><p>Three days pass and Hilda spends two nights getting drunk. I don't know why she likes it. I was sitting in the room in the inn and Hilda walks in.</p><p>"Hey Miria," I look at her and she seems calm and content now, "I haven't sensed the others yet, so want to do something fun?"</p><p>I pause before I say anything, I don't know about Hilda's idea of fun, but for some reason I go along with it.</p><p>I soon discover that Hilda's idea of fun is vastly strange. First she would run about and cross swords with me. We did this for a good four days until the other two finally arrived, and then we set off. I wondered why Hilda seemed sad, but I didn't say anything. It was almost as if she had to be different, thought the girls were nice. I got on well with them and soon we were all talking about the past for some reason.</p><p>"So lemme get it straight," Rachel took in a deep breath, "ya parents didn't want ya so they sold ya to the Organization?"</p><p>"Yes," I replied, Hilda winces noticeable,</p><p>"Bullshit Miria," says Rachel, "no one's parents do that to them."</p><p>"Actually they do," we all turn and stare at Hilda,</p><p>"No way." Cassandra gasps,</p><p>"Not all parents do it, but some do," Hilda looks down for a few seconds in to the fire, "when they do it's for many reasons, but it doesn't change what they do."</p><p>Rachel looks at me and Hilda looks at Rachel,</p><p>"I too, know what it's like to be sold," Hilda's face is almost strange, as if she didn't want to say what she was saying, "though my parents were poorer than poor, it didn't change the fact that they sold me," I flinch and Hilda continues, "they thought that by selling me I would lead a better life," Hilda snorted, "I became a half yoma instead and I'm sure that when they find out they'll disown me."</p><p>"My family were all killed by a yoma," Cassandra said softly, "not one of them survived the attack and I was scared."</p><p>"It's not unusual, indeed most warriors will tell you that their family died in a yoma attack, or even a mass yoma attack on their home villages," Hilda said sadly, "as such few warriors could say that they haven't lost someone they care about before becoming half yoma."</p><p>I held my tongue and listened for the rest of the night, I didn't want to let the words get to me, but they seemed to be cutting me as deep as if they were true.</p><p>
  <em>I ran forwards, my blade slashing the air; I wanted to move faster…I wanted to move faster…I paused as I couldn't keep running any more. Fear gripped me and I looked around frantically for yoma, though none were in my sensing range. I pushed myself again and again to lift my speed up. I wanted to be fast to slip past my opponents and do what others could not. I wanted to run, I loved to run, the world was my oyster, my place to roam and run. My place to roam free…</em>
</p><p>I woke with a start only to realise that Hilda's arms were around me in an embrace. At first I thought that she had done it on purpose, but when I looked at her, she seemed to be sleeping and her grip tightened on me. I went to move and I woke her,</p><p>"Oh, sorry Miria." she whispered,</p><p>"Hey, it's no big deal Hilda." I say,</p><p>"Gods I wasn't talking in my sleep was I?" she asked me almost panicking her face slightly white,</p><p>"Not that I heard Hilda," I told her,</p><p>"Well, if you say so." she let go of me and walked away,</p><p>"Hilda," I followed her, "Hilda, what's wrong?"</p><p>She looked at me with her silver eyes and I was still. She came closer to me and whispered in my ear, "Nothing Miria, you only need to focus on the task at hand."</p><p>"But Hilda," I protest only to have Hilda put a finger on my lips,</p><p>"There is a time and a place for distractions," said Hilda, "now is not the time Miria."</p><p>I try to talk but Hilda shushes me. I cast a worried look at her as she continues walking away towards a stream that I didn't realise was even there. I self-consciously sniff myself and follow her. I swore that I head laughter, but I doubted that in the next instant, my hearing wasn't that good and I wasn't that sensitive.</p><p>The moment that she dumps her clothes on the ground and casually walks in to the water I am half way out of my own. I follow her in and the water is pleasant on my body. The gaping half-heartedly stitched wound that hadn't healed since I was made half yoma somehow kept the water out. Hilda sloshed water everywhere and it wasn't long before she noticed me near the shore, washing myself,</p><p>"Well I never," she said, sloshing towards me, "I guess it's been a while since someone took a bath huh?"</p><p>I look up to find her a few inches away from me; I jump as she lands on me. The resulting splash of water isn't enough to make any serious noise, but I can't help but wonder how Hilda managed that one.</p><p>"Hilda," I begin, and she laughs,</p><p>"Come on then, follow me." she is giggling a little and I sigh. So much for getting what was going on in her head.</p><p>I follow Hilda in to the water and I wonder what she is doing. She splashes me and I splash her back. Soon we're both giggling and laughing and it isn't long before the two of us are soaked and my hair drops to down to my as yet still developing breasts. Not that Hilda cares, she laughs and acts like the world will never end. I don't know why but I almost expected something to happen.</p><p>When the morning comes I lay in my clothing wishing with all of my heart I could return the feelings that Hilda had for me. I felt deeply guilty about it, but she just brushes it off. I am surprised that she acts as if nothing has happened. I feel even more guilty about it and I try to talk to her, but she brushes it off with a simple, "It's ok Miria," and leaves it at that. I still don't know why she was even holding back, that she was keeping it quiet in front of our comrades, but I simply didn't question her actions and followed suit.</p><p>It didn't dampen our friendship at all and for that I was truly grateful. Hilda and I focused on what we had to do and our comrades joked and teased about it. Hilda teased them back while I tried to keep the peace, something that seemed to come naturally to me.</p><p>We travelled for a week before we finally found the target. It was huge and I realised that it would be a good time to show off the move that I'd been working hard on for a while. The swipes of the monster's claws mean nothing to me as I move as fast as I can. I can see that Hilda is fighting as hard as the other three. I focus on the opening that is presented to me and make my yoki push up, and I jump to move forwards. I cut the monster deeply, but I fail to land a vital blow. I land hard on the balls of my feet and turn sharply to see that its hand has come off. Hilda jumps again and I race forward to make another attempt at cutting it. I land within inches of Hilda and I push myself to move back and turn, my body obeying my will for just a short while. Hilda moves as fast as she can, hacking and slashing at the monster while those of us who were lower ranked supported her. I avoided an attack without thinking about it. The other warriors pause for a few seconds and even Hilda casts a worried look in my direction, though I am focused on doing what I need to do. I jump up again, pushing my yoki to lift my speed up, to move as fast as I could without hesitating. I leap up and get a vital strike. Inspired by my manoeuvre it isn't long before the others take a chance and the being topples not long afterwards. I fall to my knees in exhaustion, my breaths coming in gasps, and I rest my forearms on my legs as cramps pull through my body. I hear the clanking of amour and I struggle to catch my breath as quickly as possible. I hadn't fought like this before and my body wanted to lay and rest. I kept breathing as deeply as I dared as stiches ran my patience out.</p><p>"Is this your first time on an awakened being hunt?" Hilda asked me, "That was pretty good for a Number 17, Miria."</p><p>I look up at Hilda's smiling face and I try not to grimace, "Not as good as you are Number 6, Hilda." I smile at her through my pain, hiding it, my arms still resting on my legs. I hear Hilda chuckle,</p><p>"Well, that doesn't stop you from having the potential to be a single digit Miria," I look at Hilda in barely concealed surprise, "it's only for brief moments, but you are faster than me."</p><p>I wanted to laugh at Hilda's flattery; sure that she was just saying that.</p><p>"You know if you get to the point where you can do that at will, you'll improve out of sight." Hilda said, sounding serious,</p><p>"That would be nice." I say as I get up. The pain abated enough to allow me to stand up and not be in pain.</p><p>"Hmm, if you do become a single digit Miria," Hilda sounded thoughtful, "you do realise that they won't team us up anymore because they only have one single digit per hunting party, it would be quite lonely wouldn't it?"</p><p>"When it comes to hunting the awakened ones," I say with a smile, "it shouldn't matter how many single digits there are." as I said this I sheathed my blade. Hilda looked at me and then she spoke,</p><p>"Well if that's the case…" she looked down at her trembling hand and for a few seconds all of us seemed to stand still, "Next time let's team up as single digit warriors!"</p><p>She pulled her own blade and held it out smiling,</p><p>I looked at her and then I smiled and pulled my own blade, "Yes, it's a pact!" I say as my blade meets hers. I feel so happy that I wanted to bust. To fight with Hilda as a single digit was the highest honour for me. I felt so happy that she'd forgiven the fact that I didn't share the same feelings as she did, although I wanted to at least try to feel that way about her she was at best like a sister to me. We parted ways and promised to keep in touch. Rachel said that she would love to see how much stronger I could get and said that if I didn't one up her she had every right to deck me when we next met,</p><p>"If you can catch me, I'll let you!" I yelled back at her and she laughed.</p><p>Months later I was told by Ermita that I was to be on a second awakened being hunt. I tilted my head as I listened to what he was saying. Another group battle it seemed. I walked to where we were all supposed to meet up. As we hadn't meet before we introduced ourselves accordingly. By name and by rank. I was the highest ranked warrior at Number 17. The other two were in the 20's and 30's respectively. I decided that we should start, uneasy about the fact that there was no single digit to guide us. The other two didn't complain and followed me. It was a strange feeling that I didn't enjoy because I knew that there should have been a single digit there. I walked towards the area where Ermita had said the target would have been.</p><p>We got lucky it seemed. It was thankfully just a few yoma. Not the veracious eater that everyone had been thinking it was. I ran forwards like normal, pushed my yoki to respond to moving faster and for the first time since I did the technique in front of Hilda it had improved drastically. I was now able to do it at will. The single digits were near my grasp at last.</p>
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